This is my kind of cookbook, filled with real recipes that my family will eat, using real whole food ingredients that I can find at my local grocery store. The author takes the best of the Mennonite comfort foods that she grew up with and shares them with a down-home style that cooks of any level of expertise will enjoy.
Chapters include appetizers, dips, beverages, breakfast and breads, salads and dressings, summer sandwiches and winter soups, garden fresh veggies, comfort food, sides, main dishes, desserts, cookies, cakes, bars, and a chapter on do-it-yourself recipes that include baking and seasoning mixes, homemade chocolate syrup, a recipe for homemade laundry soap, and more.
I tried one recipe, Layered Meatless Mexican Casserole (except I cheated and added some chicken), and enjoyed the results. Other recipes I have tagged to try include Swiss Cheese Quiche, Old Fashioned Beef Stew, Baked Rosemary Chicken, Grape Salad, and Pumpkin Caramel Cheesecake.
Overall I like this cookbook. However, there are no photos except for the front and back cover. A cookbook is always more enjoyable when pictures of the recipes are included.
Another issue for me was at the end of most recipes there are suggested modifications that begin with “And Another Thing…” except that phrase is oddly repeated twice every time so as an example it reads like this: “And Another Thing…And Another Thing…If you do not have a zester, you can use a vegetable peeler.” Or, “And Another Thing…And Another Thing…For variety, add 1 cup shredded cheddar cheese and 3 tablespoons fresh chives.” For some reason this became highly annoying to me as I worked through the recipes but that’s just my personal angst and not a reason to avoid buying the cookbook
3 comments:
Cindy, so funny. I am reviewing the cookbook as well, and had the same 2 exact thoughts: no pictures? and what's with the "and another thing ..." repetition :)
I know, Susan! lol I don't know why it irritated me but it did, maybe because the repetition made no sense.
It's good to see what you did not like about the book. The publisher and I went back and forth on this. It went to print with me consenting but did not liking it. I wanted it to simply say: Spatula News: and than give the tip.
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